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Howard Campbell was a storyteller and jokester. Tracy Lethcoe shared on the funeral home tribute page that her grandfather would often take something from her and the other grandchildren, wrap it up, and give it back to them for Christmas. Campbell also did it to his daughters, and when they unwrapped the gift, his comment was always “I bet you’re glad to get that.” That was the fun side of Campbell, who loved his family, enjoyed meeting people, and had a great sense of humor. His daughter, Brenda Waycaster, said: “Daddy always had a family story to share.”
Campbell was a hard worker and was a carpenter all his life. Additionally, he also worked at Tri-State Container and retired from the maintenance department at Sossner Steel Co.  Waycaster shared that when her daddy and mother were first married they lived at the Happy Valley Cemetery and her father worked as a grave digger. “They lived in the little white building that now serves as the cemetery office,” she explained.

“Through the years he worked for a lot of different people and made a lot of friends. He always had something to do, and enjoyed his work as well as the people he worked for and with,” said Waycaster.

Another piece of his work was the old rock fence on Riverside Drive in Elizabethton, which was one of his first jobs, and part of which is still standing. Campbell had a knack for building things, and took pride in his work. And, he remembered most of the people he had worked for and the jobs he did.

In addition to his family and work, Campbell was active in his church at Watauga Valley Free Will Baptist. He served as a Sunday School teacher at the church for many years. He seldom missed a service and enjoyed singing in the choir. In earlier years he played the guitar.

Waycaster shared that her father and Ted Puckett were long-time friends and sang together in the church choir. “They used to tell each other: If I die before you, I want you to sing at my funeral.” The song to be sung was “I’m A Winner Either Way.”

When Campbell died, his friend, Ted, was out of town, but he came home to sing at Campbell’s funeral.

Campbell’s daughter said her father was not one to travel nor take vacations. “He enjoyed spending time with family. He and my mother planted a small garden and tended it, and he kept the lawn mowed. During his spare time he enjoyed sitting on a wooden bench he had built and placed next to the garden. He often would sit on that bench with the grandchildren and share an apple with them,” said Waycaster.

“Daddy was just a simple man, who enjoyed the little things in life. He enjoyed his work, his church and his family. That’s how best to describe him.”

Campbell and his wife, the former Patsy Timbs, whom he had been married to for 66 years, were the parents of three daughters, Brenda Waycaster, Carolyn Allen, and Lorrie Campbell. Additionally, they had seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Waycaster noted that her father and mother had known each other 10 years before they were married.

Waycaster said her father built his house, carport and garage, himself.  “He took pride in his home and could often be seen with a bucket of paint and paint brush touching things up,” she recalled.

Another thing he enjoyed was driving by his old homeplace. “Often we would drive by it, when we would go on a family picnic,” Waycaster said.

One of Waycaster’s fondest memories of her father was when she and her sisters were growing up, her father oftentimes on Saturday would have them sweep out his old red truck. When they were finished he would take them to the old Williams Store in Hunter and buy them a bottle of pop. They would then throw rocks in the creek nearby. “That was something we looked forward to. It was a small thing, but it was a fun thing,” she said, and I visualized a smile on her face as she shared the story.

Howard Campbell was laid to rest November 21 at Happy Valley Memorial Park – just a week before Thanksgiving. But, oh the beautiful memories his family has of him. And, what a wonderful life he lived. And as the song said: “If I go, or if I stay, the victory is mine…I’m a winner either way…”